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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — in football
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for dancing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com